The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) brought their worldwide ‘Destination Sri Lanka’ and ‘Visit Sri Lanka 2011’ campaigns to the New York Times 2010 Travel held last weekend at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

An SLTPB statement said, Sri Lanka Tourism’s Honorary Director in the US Dillan Ariyawansa said the event was opportune for showcasing the multitude of tourist attractions Sri Lanka has to offer and build on the publicity generated from the recently published New York Times article where Sri Lanka was declared the top destination to visit in 2010. Mr. Ariyawansa added that the SLTPB also wanted to impress upon visitors that different possibilities are available within a country half the size of New York state.

It said that Sri Lanka, having so many attractions which are sometimes polar opposites like virgin rain forest and Donald Steel designed golf courses set among cool hilltops all within close proximity, is the main reason for choosing Sri Lanka as a holiday destination. The country offers hundreds of miles of golden beaches, seven UNESCO world heritage sites, varied climates, exotic wild and marine life, safaris, surfing and cultural events.

The SLTPB added that the Sri Lankan government has launched major publicity campaigns to develop tourism. ‘Visit Sri Lanka 2011’ is an international communication campaign involving CNN, Discovery Travel, BBC, and Al Jazeera. SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier, also participated at the travel show. To add a little colour to the event, a dance troupe from Sri Lanka performed as well. Tourist arrival figures for the US have increased by 21 % in January 2010 from last year.

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